America Supports France in Vietnam

FRENCH RULE IN VIETNAM

Ho Chi Minh. Although the French condemned Ho Chi Minh to death for his
rebellious activity, he fled Vietnam and orchestrated Vietnam’s growing
independence movement from exile in the Soviet Union and later from China

FRANCE BATTLES THE VIETMINH

. Ho Chi Minh vowed to fight from the North to liberate the South from French
control. “If ever the tiger pauses,” Ho had said, referring to the Vietminh, “the
elephant [France] will impale him on his mighty tusks.

In 1950, the United States entered the Vietnam struggle—despite

THE VIETMINH DRIVE OUT THE FRENCH

Despite massive U.S. aid, however, the French could not retake Vietnam. They were
forced to surrender in May of 1954, when the Vietminh overran the French outpost
at Dien Bien Phu, in northwestern Vietna

An election to unify the country was called for in 1956.

DIEM CANCELS ELECTIONS

By 1957, a Communist opposition group in the South, known as the Vietcong, had
begun attacks on the Diem government, assassinating thousands of South
Vietnamese government officials

KENNEDY AND VIETNAM

Meanwhile, Diem’s popularity plummeted because of ongoing corruption and his

failure to respond to calls for land reform. To combat the growing Vietcong presence
in the South’s countryside, the Diem administration initiated the strategic hamlet
program, which meant moving all villagers to protected areas.